The amount of the electrical load on a vehicle is growing and is ever more complex. When all systems are in operation concurrently, a vehicle may consume upwards of 300 amps. Not only is the amount of the electrical load growing, but the sophistication of the load is also growing with more and more processors and other electronic features and equipment being added.
As more features are added to a vehicle, power management with a goal to conserve the power in the vehicle battery is growing more important. Typically alternators generate up to 185 amps. However, transient current of about 350 amps may be experienced due the use of features such as power steering, heated seats and the use of hybrid systems. Steady state current in a vehicle is approximately 77 amps. Off power mode vehicle current may drop to as low as 20 mA.
One ubiquitous exemplary electronic device that commonly uses the vehicle battery via an auxiliary power outlet is the cell phone. Cell phones may draw approximately one Amp (e.g., 750 mA) during full charging mode. Left on for a long enough period of time, a cell phone can drain a vehicle battery. Other portable electronic devices can do likewise.
Accordingly, it is desirable to preserve a vehicle battery by reducing power consumption by rechargeable devices. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.